Although Leeds Young Film Festival 2020 has been postponed due to Coronavirus, we want to make sure that you still have the opportunity to watch and discover new films, along with some family favourites.
To help you navigate the world of online streaming we will be suggesting ten films you can watch as a family each Friday, along with where to find them. Some of the films require either a Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ account but we know most households have at least one of these (and all are offering a free trial before you have to subscribe). We will also ensure that we include some free-to-watch films as well which only requires you to have a TV Licence.
Here are the selections for w/c Friday 22 May.
The Dark Crystal (Netflix)
Dirs. Jim Henson & Frank Oz, 1982, USA / UK, 93 mins, Cert PG
A dark fantasy adventure from The Muppets creators, Jim Henson who went on to create Labyrinth.
A thousand years ago on a different planet, the evil race of grotesque birdlike lizards, the Skeksis rule the planet. Jen, an orphan Gelfling raised by the peace-loving Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and so restore order to his world.
A prequel television series which expands the universe, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, is available on Netflix.
Read more on IMDB here.
The Addams Family (Ch5, Sat 23 May, 1:50pm)
Addams Family Values (Ch5, Sat 23 May, 3:55pm)
Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld, 1991 & 1993, USA, 99 mins & 94 mins, Cert PG
Barry Sonnenfeld, director of the Men in Black films, adapts the famous cartoon created by Charles Addams in a live action comedy starring an A list cast, including Christina Ricci and Christopher Lloyd.
The Addams are a bizarre, macabre, aristocratic family who reconnect with who they believe to be a long-lost relative, Gomez's brother Fester Addams, who is actually the adopted son of a loan shark intending to swindle the Addams clan out of their vast wealth and fortune.
Sonnenfeld and the cast returned for the sequel, Addams Family Values, two years later. Morticia gives birth to an adorable baby boy but Wednesday and Pugsley hate him, so they plot to get rid of him one way or another. Meanwhile, the family try to rescue their beloved Uncle Fester from his gold-digging new love, a black widow named Debbie.
Fans of The Addams Family should check out the new 2019 animated movie which has a style closer to the original 1960's comic strip.
Read more on IMDB here and here.
Jurassic Park (Amazon Prime / ITV, Sunday 24 May, 5:45pm)
Dir. Steven Spielberg, 1993, USA, 127 mins, Cert PG
Steven Spielberg directed the very first instalment of the Jurrasic Park saga back in 1993.
The film is set on the fictional island of Isla Nublar near Costa Rica. There, wealthy businessman John Hammond and a team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of dinosaurs. When industrial sabotage leads to a catastrophic shutdown of the park's power facilities and security precautions, a small group of visitors and Hammond's grandchildren struggle to survive and escape the perilous island.
The fifth sequel, Jurassic Park: Dominion, is scheduled for a 2021 release.
Read more on IMDB here.
Mousehunt (Netflix)
Dir. Gore Verbinski, 1997, USA, 98 mins, Cert PG
The directorial debut of Gore Verbinski, who went on to direct the Pirates of the Caribbean saga. This was the first family film released by DreamWorks Pictures.
The film follows two Laurel and Hardy-like brothers in their struggle against one small but crafty house mouse for possession of a mansion which was left to them by their late father.
The film relies heavily on physical, slapstick style comedy and is like Home Alone, only with far more brains, heart, and style, which will endear it to adults as well as young viewers.
Read more on IMDB here.
Stormbreaker (Amazon Prime)
Dir. Geoffrey Sax, 2006, UK / USA / Germany, 93 mins, Cert PG
Stormbreaker is based on the first of the Alex Rider novels, written by Anthony Horowitz and boasts a great cast including Alex Pettyfer, Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Alicia Silverstone, Sophie Okenedo, Stephen Fry and Ewan McGregor.
After the death of his uncle, who was a secret agent, the 14-year-old schoolboy Alex Rider is forced by MI6 into a mission to gather intelligence behind Stormbreaker, an advanced computer system being provided to schools across Britain.
Although no further films in the franchise were produced, Alex Rider returns in a TV series on Amazon Prime from 4 June. The 8-part series is based on the second novel Point Blanc and stars Otto Farrant as Alex, with a great supporting cast.
Read more on IMDB here.
Horton Hears A Who! (E4, Sun 24 May, 9:55am)
Dirs. Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino, 2008, USA, 86 mins, Cert U
The third Dr Seuss feature film adaptation and the first to be completely animated, Horton Hears A Who! is both whimsical and heartwarming, and is rare in that it stays true to the spirit of the source material.
One day, peace-loving elephant Horton hears a nearly inaudible call for help from a teeny, tiny speck, which he places on a flower. The speck is home to Whoville and its citizens, the Whos. Following his motto that "a person's a person, no matter how small," Horton promises the Mayor of Whoville to keep Whoville safe, even though residents of the jungle think Horton is either crazy or a liar and want to destroy the speck.
Read more on IMDB here.
Alice in Wonderland (Disney+)
Dir. Tim Burton, 2010, UK / USA, 108 mins, Cert PG
There have been several Tim Burton film recommedations over the last few weeks, as so many of his movies are popular with both adults and children alike. His films always have a dark fantasy feel to them and his loose adaptation of Lewis Carrol's famous Alice stories is no different. It was the second 3D movie he made for Disney (following Frankenweenie, on last week's list) and is still his highest-grossing film.
Alice, now 19 years old, follows a rabbit in a blue coat to a magical wonderland from her dreams where she is reunited with her friends who make her realise her true destiny. With the help of the Mad Hatter, she must slay the evil Red Queen's dragonlike creature, the Jabberwocky and return the White Queen to her rightful place on the throne.
Read more on IMDB here.
Attack the Block (All 4 until 14 June)
Dir. Joe Cornish, 2011, UK, 88 mins, Cert 15
Normally we don't recommend 15 certificate films on this list, but we wanted to make an exception for Attack the Block for a number of reasons. It showcases the talents of John Boyega (who went on to star in Star Wars) in his debut role; Jodie Whittaker, the current Doctor Who; and writer / director Joe Cornish, in his directorial debut. A fast-paced sci-fi film with a distinctly British flavour, it countered the trend of 'hoodie horror' films which demonised urban youths and has been critically acclaimed for its character development and performances.
A young woman and a gang of tough inner city kids make an unlikely alliance to try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London council tower block into an intergalactic war-zone.
Read more on IMDB here.
Finding Dory (BBC1, Sat 23 May, 6:20pm)
Dirs. Andrew Stanton & Angus MacLane, 2016, USA, 97 mins, Cert U
Pixar's 2016 spin-off from the 2003 smash hit Finding Nemo adds another chapter to its predecessor's charming story and provides a fully rounded back story to one of Nemo's most loveable characters.
Dory, a friendly but forgetful blue tang fish, sets off in search of her long-lost parents with the help of her friends, clownfish Marlin and his son Nemo and learns some important things about the true meaning of family along the way.
With over 25 million likes, Dory is the most liked character on Facebook from any Disney or Pixar film.
Read more on IMDB here.
Pete's Dragon (Disney+)
Dir. David Lowery, 2016, USA, 102 mins, Cert PG
For a while Disney have been remaking their animated classic films as live action movies with lots of CGI effects. While some haven't been great, others, like The Jungle Book and Pete's Dragon, have been much more successful and have managed to retain the magic and wonder of the originals.
When Ranger Grace meets Pete, a young orphan who has been living in the woods for six years, he tells her that he survived thanks to his friend Elliott, a large green dragon who can turn invisible. His story sounds like the one told by her father, who is adamant that he met a dragon in the woods when he was a small boy. With the help of 11 year-old Natalie, Grace sets off to find out the truth about the dragon.
Parents will love this sweet throwback Disney film while kids will be enchanted by Pete and his friendly dragon.
Read more on IMDB here.
